WackyXaky

It's cheaper to house people than not house them. Moralizing about what people that are homeless SHOULD do or act like doesn't actually solve any problem except justifying why society shouldn't deal with its problem.

I wouldn't put too much weight into pop-science articles from non-experts. What the study means and how it translates into the real world make it relatively unhelpful when trying to find a partner.

That's not how statistics work. You're comparing percentages on two different populations and implying per capita has gone down with no actual data to support that figure.

I would say the US restricts how individuals use their money on multiple levels. Everything from how we bank, make purchases, have access to certain goods is restricted by the government on the money side of things.

Speech is no different. You can and should be able to advocate whatever you want in a public or your own private space, but that doesn't mean that you can do anything to push your ideas (whether it's spending money or adversely affecting others to make your speech louder). For instance, we wouldn't say it's ok to paint your beliefs on the street or on public buildings. It's still speech, but it's also regulated and criminal.

The Martian always seemed better formulated to be a movie. I feel like from what few books I've read of Nagata, there's a complexity to the characters that would be completely lost in a movie. Of course, I don't mind the pay out that Nagata deserves, I'm just not sure how well her beautiful writing would translate.